Page 18 - AAEPC Kaleidoscope Magazine Vol.4

The Doll
- Pun Rejina
AA in Translation & Interpretation (CCCU)- year 2
In a winter night, someday around Christmas, I was walking back home from work. There are more couples than usual on the streets, they are all holding hands or hugging together. I am envious of how happy and sweet everyone is. Seeing them reminds me of how lonely and miserable I am. I speed up so that I can quickly get home and stay away from the couples. On my way, there is a deli- cate doll oddly sitting next to a garbage bin. The doll is dressed up like a sweet boy, his eyes are spar- kly as if they are diamonds, and he has a harmless looking smile. He was made so detailed as if he is a real boy, perhaps he is a luxurious doll for wealthy kids? His clothes, however, looks torn and dusty. Whoever owned him was not a careful person. Who would abandon such adorable doll? His expres- sion and posture look like as if he is waiting for somebody. As ridiculous as it sounds, when I walked closer to him, he stared at me for a while, and started talking! “I love you! Please take me with you”, he said that with his puffy little lips and it melts my heart. I know we shouldn’t fall in love with peo- ple you just met, not even dolls. But it is difficult to resist that as I have never heard any living things saying that to me. After all, he is just a doll.
I put the doll in my arms and rush back home with excitement. I try to look for some old clothes that I can use to sew new clothes for him. Ah-ha! This green dress can be turned into a cute shirt! “No, not that. I want a blue shirt, from that blouse on the chair”, he spoke as he pointed at my chair. It is my ultimate favorite blouse...but he loves it too, we are such a great match! In a couple of hours, I made him some fancy new outfits with the best clothes I had. He tried on a dark blue suit paired with a black tie, looking like an elegant prince. He looks more confident and charming in his new look. I couldn’t stop staring at him. He noticed my stares and returns me a gentle smile. His smile made my heart feel so warm that it was no longer winter to me anymore.
However, he isn’t contented enough. “I am very hungry, I want to eat pizza”, he cried. Unfortunately, there is only some leftover pasta and tomatoes in my kitchen shelf. Pasta is all I can make for him. When I serve him the food, he frowns a little and looks obviously disappointed. He takes his first bite and said “not bad”. But after a few more bites, he looks sick of the plain looking pasta. It was all I could make, but I probably wasn’t doing enough. I don’t want to see that sad look on his face. So, I told him, “tomorrow, I will bring you pizza, no...not just pizza, closet, bed, piano, anything you want! I promise you it will be better tomorrow”. Hearing that, he smiles and look deeply into my eyes. I
16